ABSTRACT
Such was the number belonging to the trade at the time of taking the last census. In 1831 the coopers were more numerous in some counties and less numerous in others. By referring to the Occupation Abstracts for the two last decennial periods, we fmd that the greatest increase amongst the coopers of twenty years of age and upwards, over and above the increase of the population of the same age, occurred in the following comities, in the proportions below stated. The county in which the greatest increase took place was Lanark, where the trade was augmented 50 per cent. more than the cotemporaneous increase of the population. In Stafford the increase was 38 per cent. above that of all other classes in the same county. Kinross showed an augmentation equal to 32 per cent. Bucks and F1intshire each 31 per cent., Durham 30 per cent., Lancaster 29 per cent., and Forfar 21 per cent., over and above the other inhabitants of those districts. The counties in which the greatest decrease occurred were the following:-
In Carnarvon (taking into consideration the increase of all other classes in the same locality) the coopers diminished, from 1831-41, as much as 49per cent., in York city and Austy 40 per cent., in Brecon 39 per cent., in Renfrew 37 per cent., in Ayr 38 per cent., in Roxburgh and Selkirk each 30 per cent., in Hertford, Denbigh, and Merioneth each 29 per cent., and in the North Riding of Yorkshire 27 per cent. The number of coopers in all England increased 3 per cent. over and above the population generally, whereas in Wales there was a decrease of 12 per cent., and in Scotland an increase of 37 per cent. In the whole of Great Britain, however, the coopers, in comparison with the rest of the population, decreased one per cent. In the metropolis, with which we are here more particularly concerned, there was an increase of 13 per cent. over and above all other classes. The number of
London coopers at the time of taking the last census was as follows:- Twenty years of age and upwards -males, 3,098; females, 22. And under twenty years of age - males, 369; making together a total of 3,489. Considering the trade to have increased since that period at the same rate as formerly, there must be very nearly 4,000 coopers at present located in London. Of this number about 300 may be said to be employers (the "Postoffice directory" gives the names of 291 coopers in business for themselves), so that it would appear that the Metropolitan Operative Coopers amount to somewhere about 3,700.
